2 water taxi stops closed by Riverwalk construction

Owner, city working on solution

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The water taxis on the St. Johns River in downtown Jacksonville are one of the most popular attractions along the Southbank Riverwalk, helping with traffic during popular downtown events like football games.

But because of Riverwalk construction, two of those stops are closed -- the one outside the Crowne Plaza Jacksonville-Riverfront and the other near the Chart House Restaurant.

The Friendship Fountain stop is the only one on the Southbank that remains open.

The owner of the taxis believes it could have an affect on upcoming events downtown, including Jaguars games this fall. He said he wrote the mayor looking for a solution.

"Much to our surprise, we discovered that the Southbank Riverwalk construction project has closed two of our most popular stops," the owner wrote. "With two stops closed, our ability to provide transportation services to residents and visitors, particularly during the upcoming football season is significantly and adversely impacted."

During football games the company transports about 3,000 fans across the river. It also offers daily service from hotels to the Jacksonville Landing.

The owner said he is working with the city, and the city dock master said the city hopes to have a solution by next week.

The Riverwalk contractor will begin building a temporary floating dock near the Chart House and will use that until construction is done. Workers hope to have that ready for the upcoming Jacksonville Jazz Festival and believe it will be a solution during the football games.

The Riverwalk construction may not be done until next year.

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